Rachel Blake MP: written questions
131 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Heat Networks: FinanceDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 30 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63920More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what oversight his Department provides for investments in heat network infrastructure.
Answer: The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero provides capital funding for heat networks via the Green Heat Network Fund and the Heat Network Efficiency Scheme. The Department is represented on the Investment Committees for these schemes. Successful app...
Answered 8 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordPolice: PowersHome OfficeTabled 30 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63919More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government plans go give additional powers to policing forces to deal with allegations of (a) trespassing and (b) modern slavery and human trafficking, in the context of the commencement o
Answer: This Government is repealing the outdated Vagrancy Act and introducing new offences which deal with specific risks.Repealing the Vagrancy Act 1824 will leave a gap for the police to tackle organised begging and trespassing, which police have highlighted a...
Answered 8 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordIndia: Minority GroupsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 23 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62140More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in India on protecting minority rights.
Answer: The UK Government takes all allegations of human rights violations very seriously. The UK Government has a broad, deep and respectful partnership with the Government of India. This includes sharing perspectives on human rights and minority issues and find...
Answered 30 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordIndia: Human RightsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 23 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62138More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Indian counterpart on violations of human rights in India.
Answer: The UK Government takes all allegations of human rights violations very seriously. The UK Government has a broad, deep and respectful partnership with the Government of India. This includes sharing perspectives on human rights and minority issues and find...
Answered 30 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordSub-letting: Tax AvoidanceTreasuryTabled 2 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 56669More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an assessment of the amount of revenue lost through tax avoidance in relation to illegal subletting of homes as short-term lets in each of the last five years.
Answer: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) estimates the size of the tax gap, which is the difference between the amount of tax that should, in theory, be paid to HMRC, and what is actually paid. The tax gap statistics and details of the estimate methodologies are pub...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordImmigration ControlsHome OfficeTabled 12 May 2025AnsweredUIN 51687More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has to review the countries eligible for (a) the Registered Traveller service and (b) automatic use of e-gates.
Answer: eGates continue to provide a safe, secure and efficient way for millions of British and Irish citizens, and nationals of the EU/EEA, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and the USA and Registered Traveller service members to ente...
Answered 20 May 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Professions: Conflict of InterestsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50361More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to minimise conflicts of interest within the medical profession.
Answer: The General Medical Council (GMC) is the regulator of all medical doctors, anaesthesia associates (AAs), and physician associates (PAs) practising in the United Kingdom. It sets and enforces the standards all doctors, AAs, and PAs must adhere to. The GMC ...
Answered 12 May 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: Private SectorDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50360More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase transparency around the awarding of contracts to private healthcare companies.
Answer: Transparency and value for money are key priorities in elective care, including where care is delivered by independent sector providers. Contracts between commissioners and providers have to comply with the NHS Payment Scheme, a set of prices and rules us...
Answered 12 May 2025
Original Parliament recordEnergy: MetersDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 1 May 2025AnsweredUIN 49865More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to improve protections for private renters with pre-paid energy metres.
Answer: The Government is committed to ensure energy is affordable for all households, including those who are on prepayment meters. For some consumers, prepayment meters are a useful tool for managing budgets. In 2023, Ofgem introduced stringent rules for the in...
Answered 12 May 2025
Original Parliament recordBusiness: Disclosure of InformationDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 30 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49642More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he is taking steps to encourage whistleblowing in the business community.
Answer: My Department is responsible for routinely updating the Prescribed Persons Order, a list of relevant bodies to which a worker can make a protected disclosure about a wrongdoing. Recent whistleblowing disclosures have been highly concentrated in health, pu...
Answered 12 May 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Housing Allowance: Shared HousingDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 29 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49226More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many adults living in temporary accommodation receive the Shared Accommodation Rate of Local Housing Allowance.
Answer: The shared accommodation rate does not apply in temporary accommodation.Temporary Accommodation is defined as housing that a claimant has been placed in by a local authority or housing association to meet the local authority’s statutory homelessness duty ...
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordHeating: RegulationDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48769More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of existing and planned heat network regulation for protecting consumer interests.
Answer: We are aware that some consumers on heat networks are not currently getting a fair deal, which is why DESNZ is introducing heat network regulation which aims to provide consumers with comparable protections to existing gas and electricity regulations. The...
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordFirst-tier TribunalMinistry of JusticeTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48768More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the First-Tier Tribunal.
Answer: This Government inherited a broken justice system with record and rising court backlogs. The Lord Chancellor recently announced that for 2025-26, the Ministry of Justice will provide a total budget of £2,538 million.We have continued investment this year ...
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordLeasehold: ReformMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48767More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Written Statement of 21 November 2024 on Leasehold and Commonhold Reform, HCWS244, what her planned timeline is for (a) reforms of and (b) consultations on the le
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November (HCWS244).
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordLeasehold: Fees and ChargesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48766More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the merits of reforming linked estate charges.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November (HCWS244).
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordProperty Management Companies: QualificationsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48765More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what her timetable is for consulting on mandatory qualifications for managing agents.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 41307 on 2 April 2025.
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordProperty Management Companies: RegulationMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48764More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her Department's policies of the independent report entitled Regulation of Property Agents: working group report, p
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 41307 on 2 April 2025.
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordSanctions: EnforcementTreasuryTabled 23 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47518More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of resourcing for agencies enforcing the UK's sanctions regime.
Answer: Resourcing decisions for the next 4 financial years are to be taken at the upcoming Spending Review, with this due for publication in June this year. At Budget 2024, it was confirmed that the 2025-26 Settlement for HM Treasury ensures that sanctions imple...
Answered 30 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordBritish Transport PoliceDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46502More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she plans to take to support former officers of the British Transport Police who are experiencing psychological trauma linked to their service, in the context of the 20th anniversary of the 7 July 20
Answer: I am grateful to all those who stepped into danger to keep Londoners safe and we will all remember the tragic deaths of 52 innocent people. Former British Transport Police officers are entitled to support from the Police Care UK charity who specialise in ...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordIncontinence: PaediatricsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44179More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to improve paediatric continence services for disabled children.
Answer: The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever. This involves ensuring that children receive the appropriate care and support whenever they need it.NHS England published Excellence in Continence Care on 23 July 2018, bri...
Answered 9 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordFlats: Fire PreventionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43715More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department has issued on the apportionment of cladding remediation costs between occupants of shared ownership properties and full owner occupiers where propert
Answer: The responsibility for undertaking cladding remediation and, in the majority of cases, paying for the works will rest with the landlord of the building. This is correct for both shared ownership and for owner occupiers. Where a responsible developer canno...
Answered 11 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordShared Ownership Schemes: Fire PreventionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43713More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what support her Department is providing to occupants of shared ownership properties with cladding remediation costs.
Answer: The responsibility for undertaking cladding remediation and, in the majority of cases, paying for the works will rest with the landlord of the building. This is correct for both shared ownership and for owner occupiers. Where a responsible developer canno...
Answered 11 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordElectronic Cigarettes: LitterDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43711More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to reduce pollution from plastic cigarette butts.
Answer: Cigarette butts are the most littered item according to a survey commissioned by Defra. Littered filters are not just an eyesore, they can also release toxins into the environment. The best way to reduce cigarette litter is to reduce smoking rates and we ...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordDental Services: ContractsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 43000More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of changes which need to be made to the NHS Dental contracting framework.
Answer: To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to National Health Service dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.There are no perfect payment systems and careful co...
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordSmall Businesses: EnergyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42999More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what support his Department is providing to small businesses with high energy costs.
Answer: The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently. The creation of Great British Energy will help us to harness clean energy wit...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament record
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